


A Stranger in the Castle

by Macncheese22



Category: Castlevania Netflix, 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: AU( again sort of), Alucard being soft, Eventual Smut, F/M, I'm Bad At Tagging, Imma do me best, Lisa is totally shipping her own son with this woman lol, Slow burn( I mean sort of)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-01-22 16:49:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21305354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Macncheese22/pseuds/Macncheese22
Summary: Lisa brings home a stranger who has been seriously injured and promises to heal them. A bit of chaos and feels ensue.
Relationships: Alucard/Original Character(s), Dracula/Lisa (Castlevania)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 79





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm like really bad at summaries, but ignore that. I really just wanted to have fun with this, kinda just add a little more to the fandom( and kill time until season 3 comes out). So enjoy and feel free to leave comments!

The steady pounding of the horses behind her grew closer as her own horse began to tire. I need to make a stand now, Valeria thought as she pulled out the crossbow and began to load it.  
“There she is! Get her!” The men who’d been chasing her now charged at full speed.  
“Shit,” Valeria mumbled to herself. “Only got a few shots.” She aimed at the furthest from her, in hopes of perhaps deterring the others. The bolt thudded as it landed in the skull of one of her pursuers. Valeria’s horse began to panic, tossing its head and stomping the ground.  
Calm now, she thought as she fired off the next shot into the man closest to her, who then dropped to the ground like his partner. The noise from the crossbow further irritated her horse and the blood that had been spilt didn’t help. Valeria did what she could to calm the horse with her knees without taking her eyes off the next and final rider. The man yelled as he charged her, his sword pointed straight at her. Valeria’s fingers trembled ever so slightly as she raised the crossbow once more and aimed right at the man’s forehead. Time seemed to slow as the last crossbow bolt landed in the man’s head, his yelling ceasing immediately. The only sound to be heard now was the snorting and panic of her horse as the body of her pursuer fell less than a yard from her.  
Valeria had little time to celebrate her victory as her horse panicked further, bucking and rearing in fear, despite her attempts to calm it. She frantically grabbed at the reins in an attempt to regain control, but to no avail. Valeria slipped from the saddle as the horse bucked wildly, yelping in surprise as she fell to ground, hitting her head with a thump. Her head began to pound as the forest around her began to blur, the last thing she remembered was a sharp pains in her legs and the sound of horse hoofs.  
*  
Lisa POV  
The town faded quickly in the distance as Lisa walked steadily back to her husband’s castle. Dracula had insisted that she not go so far, but that did not last long, because Lisa, well, once she’d decided on something, she was absolutely going to do it no matter what. Besides, being a doctor was her job. What else would she do with all that training? But when all was said and done, she did miss her husband every time he or she traveled. She’d expected the townspeople to be less than grateful for her presence, but they surprised her with their toleration this time around. Of course there were people who downright despised her (there always were), but they were outnumbered by the people who actually respected her presence. In fact, the townspeople appreciated her so much, that when Lisa announced she was leaving, they gave her gifts and even a donkey to carry her belongings. The overall experience had been positive for Lisa and she would be sure to share the details with her husband and son when she returned.  
She continued walking, greatly anticipating the familiarity of Dracula’s castle and resting her feet. As she looked around her, taking in the fall foliage of the trees, she smelled something off. She grew closer to the source of the smell and gasped at the sight: three dead men, spread apart and a women, who seemed unconscious. Lisa stopped to inspect the scene, immediately ruling out that the men were alive based on the bolts sticking out of their forehead, not to mention the stench coming from their bodies. But the woman was not dead clearly. Lisa checked her pulse and the woman was very much alive, just unconscious. Based on her clothes she looked to be a traveler or some sort of hunter or poacher, rather strange for women in this part of the world.  
“Those men must have been chasing her,” Lisa mumbled as she stepped over their bodies. She grimaced at the way the woman’s legs twisted in ways they were not supposed to. She took time to glance at the prints around the bodies, which primarily looked to be horse hooves. The only thing that could explain the woman being on the ground was that she’d fallen from her horse. Lisa looked around once more and thought the situation over and came to a very simple conclusion: she had to take the girl with her. She couldn’t just leave her there to die. “Vlad surely won’t be happy for unannounced guests, but he’ll have to adjust.” Lisa said as she struggled to load the girl on the back of the donkey and continued her trek to Dracula’s castle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so here it is. Again feel free to comment( maybe some constructive feedback?). Enjoy!

Valeria POV  
The world seemed to be spinning as Valeria began to stir, waking to a fierce pounding in her head. Her hands fumbled for something to grab onto, and was incredibly surprised to find she was no longer on the damp ground she’d landed on, but in a soft bed, covered in blankets. Oh fuck, she thought, not being aware of any inns or villages in the vicinity where she fell. Valeria frantically tried to sit up, but the shooting pain in her head and lower body forced her back down with a cry. She looked around as much as her eyes would allow her to, taking in the rather dark, but large room, seemingly lit only by candles. Was this some sort of castle? The design of the room was foreign to her, looking nothing like the homes in her native land.   
“Oh dear, I see you’ve awoken,” A female voice chimed from across the room. “Thank goodness, I was starting to believe you truly were dead.” The woman came to the side of the bed and smiled. She had a pleasant face, golden hair draped to either side of her face. She wore robes that looked slightly worn, but were richly colored a deep grey.   
Valeria swallowed, her throat parched. “W-where am I?”  
“Where you are is not as important as the fact that you are safe here,” The woman approached a bowl of water and dipped her hands in it, then dried them with a small towel. “My name is Lisa, by the way. When I found you, you were in pretty bad shape: legs twisted and such. You should consider yourself lucky you didn’t break your neck.”  
When the woman mentioned her legs, Valeria realized that she could not feel them. She tried to sit up once again, but much slower, but Lisa gently placed her hand on her shoulder to keep her doing so.   
“Don’t, it’ll only make your head injury worse. And don’t worry about your legs. I simply gave you medicine to numb them.”  
Valeria glanced down at her legs, which looked like they’d been set in some sort of cast and were elevated slightly. She sighed that at least this strange woman had not left her to die, as surely some wild animal or cruel man would have come along and finished her off. “Thank you. Uh, for helping me, of course.”  
Lisa smiled again. “Well this is my job. I’d have felt bad if I just left you there,” She picked up a vial of chalky white liquid and handed it to Valeria. “Here, drink this. It’ll help you get some sleep while I work on these legs.”  
Valeria nodded and chugged the liquid, which was warm and chalky. All it took was a few dazed minutes and before she knew it, she was sleeping once again.   
*  
Alucard POV  
Alucard had been in the library when he sensed his mother’s return. He marked his spot in the tome he was reading and headed toward the main hall to greet her. She’d been gone for a little over a month, and, though Alucard didn’t typically worry about his mother, the amount of time she’d been gone had begun to concern him. That concern didn’t even compare to his father’s, who’d gone so far as to move the castle to be no more than ten miles from her at all times. Surely Dracula would beat him to the main hall, also going to greet her as soon as he detected her.  
As he drew closer to the hall, Alucard noticed another scent mingling with his mother’s, an earthy, almost rancid scent. He found her in the hall leading a donkey which appeared to be carrying a rather heavy load.   
“Mother, you’ve returned. Welcome home.”   
Lisa smiled kindly and embraced him. “Adrien, you’re looking well. Tell me what book did you have your nose buried in this time?”  
“Some tome about botanical properties. Horribly dull, I’m afraid,” He came closer to the donkey and recognized its load as a human body. “What is that?”  
“Ah, yes. She’s a traveler I came across. Fell off her horse, I think. I couldn’t just leave her there.”  
Alucard wrinkled his nose as he glared at the woman. “Are you found her on the road and not in some sewer?”  
Lisa chuckled. “Adrien! Be nice, she is our guest for now.”  
“A guest?” Another voice echoed from across the room, which could only be his father. The man walked towards them with superhuman grace, almost seeming to glide across the floor. He smiled at Lisa and bent over to kiss her cheek. “My love, what have you brought with you? Surely not some stranger you encountered in your travels?”  
Lisa nodded and pointed at the girl. “She was seriously injured, Vlad. I couldn’t just leave her there, not when I am fully capable of helping her.”  
Dracula sighed. “But Lisa--,”  
“Vlad.” Lisa said firmly, giving him a stern look. If there was one thing his father could not stand, it was Lisa’s disappointment, or worse, her anger.  
He huffed and waved his hand in dismissal. “Very well, but she can stay only until she has recovered, no longer,” Lisa smiled up at him. “But whatever you do, please remove that filthy creature from the main hall.”   
“Of course. Adrien, will you help me lift her? She’s not terribly heavy but still,”  
Alucard grimaced at the thought of lifting the dirt-covered woman. Not to mention she smelled like a hound after a hard hunt. He wanted to say no, but he knew that, for some reason, his mother was invested in helping this woman, so he supposed the least he could do was help her do so. “Ah fine. I’ll need to take a bath afterwards though.”  
Lisa shook her head. “I knew you’d say something like that. Come, I’ll get my things and follow you to the guest room.”  
Alucard lifted the woman and draped her arm over his shoulders. She wasn’t heavy, as Lisa had said, a mop of raven black hair covering her hair. As he carried her, he noticed her attire to be very different from the local standard: it was leather for one; the inside seemed to be lined with fur. Her pants were rather tight-fitting, too and he was a bit surprised a woman was even wearing pants. She must have been a traveler and, judging from the stench coming from her, she must have been running from someone.   
He arrived in the guest chambers and sat her on the bed as gently as he could. As he lay her on the bed, her hair flew back to reveal her face and Alucard was taken aback by her appearance. Her skin was swarthy and had patches of dirt from where she fell. But her face was incredibly beautiful, with soft cheekbones and plump lips. His eyes lowered to her rather full bosom, but he quickly averted them. His attention was drawn to her legs as he propped them on the bed and they were almost grossly twisted.   
Lisa brought her vials and herbs in to the room and began setting up. “Adrien, will fetch some firewood, dear? We’ll need to warm this room up some.”   
Alucard stood there for a moment, still transfixed by their guest. She looked peaceful, but he could only imagine if she were awake, she’d be in terrible pain. His thoughts were interrupted when Lisa lightly tapped his arm.   
“Are you…ogling our guest, Adrien?” She asked with a smirk.   
He felt a slight heat rush to his face as he turned away and tried to play it off. “Ahem. Ah, no, I was just—trying to inspect her injuries,” The look on his mother’s face made him want to turn into a bat and fly as far away as possible. “Right. I’ll go get the firewood.”  
Alucard turned away and rushed off to find the firewood, still thinking about this strange woman his mother brought home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol forgot to mention Alucard's pov happens before val's so yeah...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, i'm gonna try to pick up the action a lil' bit and sees where it goes.

Valeria POV  
When she woke after what seemed like days, the first thing she felt was a terrible pain in both of her legs. She winced as the shooting pain only increased when she tried to touch them. Valeria looked around the room and spotted the woman who’d brought her here. What was her name? She grunted as she attempted to sit up yet again, but to no avail. At least it helped Lisa notice her.

“Ah, you’re awake. Sleep soundly?” The woman smiled, illuminated by the candle light. 

“Yes, thank you,” Valeria glanced down at her legs, only to see that they were covered. “Could tell me what happened to my legs?”

“Not so fast. I’ve brought you into my home and treated you, the least you could do is tell me your name.”

Valeria balled her fists up under the blanket and sighed. “My name’s Valeria and I came here from afar. Does that satisfy you?”

Lisa chuckled at her answer. “Sassy. Well, I suppose I shall tell you about your legs. They were in pretty bad shape. I had to do bit more than with a standard bone break. Even my husband had to pull out books to figure out what to do. But we figured it out, however--,” Lisa lifted the blanket off her legs. Valeria gasped when she saw how hideous they looked; both were swollen and bloody and had some sort of pins sticking out them. “You’ll not be walking for at least the next 2 months. The bones need time to heal, to fuse back together. So, for the time being, you’ll stay here, as our guest.”

Valeria sighed and released the sheets she’d been grasping tightly. Not being able to move for two months was not exactly ideal for someone who’d been constantly moving for the past year. She could at least find out where she was. “Well, I thank you for taking care of me. I’m truly grateful for your help, but-- I’d like to know where I am, if you don’t mind telling me.” 

Lisa furrowed her brows at the question. “I—would love to tell you, but it’s a bit complicated.”

So that’s why she was dancing around the subject. “Or you could just tell me what country I’m in and what castle this is. That would be enough.”

Lisa fiddled with her tools. “This is Wallachia and this castle, well, belongs to my husband, Vlad Tepes.”

Tepes? Valeria’s eyes grew wide with fear. How could she have been so stupid to wander so close to the Impaler’s territory? Where she was from, Vlad the Impaler was a bedtime story used to frighten small children. It was only when she came to Europe when it became apparent they were not just stories, but the actual man still lived in Wallachia. What the stories didn’t mention, was that he had a wife. Or was Lisa making all of it up?

“Ah, I figured you’d heard the stories. No need to worry though, Dracula won’t hurt you, at least not if I have something to say about it,” Lisa smirked as Valeria held her frightened gaze. “Just jesting. But in all seriousness, my husband shan’t hurt you. He’ll be minding his own business, so you needn’t fear him. Our son though…,”

A son? Since when did Dracula have a whole family? How did the people of Wallachia even sleep knowing two vampires lived among them? Lisa filled a pewter cup with water and walked over to the bed. “My son, Alucard, he can be a recluse as well, but he’s a bit more curious when it comes to this sort of thing. Again, he won’t harm you, but--,” Lisa tried to hide a grin but failed. “You do have an awfully attractive face…” 

Valeria blushed slightly at the compliment, but missed the meaning behind it. She grabbed the cup of water Lisa was offering and drank it greedily. It was only then when she noticed how hungry she was and really couldn’t even remember the last time she’d eaten. 

“Oh, you’re probably hungry. Alucard will be bringing some stew up in a bit. Can’t have a guest starving to death.”

Valeria nodded. From what it sounded like, Lisa didn’t get many visitors and it seemed like she actually enjoyed the company of others. “Thank you for this. I don’t even know how I could begin to repay your kindness.”

Lisa stroked her chin. “Actually, I do have an idea of how you could do just that,” Valeria raised her eyebrows at such a quick response. “It’s a very simple thing: be friends with my son. Alucard doesn’t exactly need friends or anything, it’s just--, I think it would be good for him to have one, someone to connect with.”

Valeria was taken aback by the request. She didn’t consider the request to be difficult or anything, but she wasn’t exactly the best herself at making friends. “Umm, sure, I guess I can do that. It can’t be too difficult right?”

Right as Valeria said that, Alucard opened the guest chamber door with a pot of stew. She visibly gulped when she saw a grown man walk in. For some reason, she’d been under the impression, that this Alucard was a young boy, one who needed his hand to be held constantly or had snot running from his nose. How wrong she was; Lisa’s son was clearly an adult, at least half a foot taller than his mother, with hair a similar color to hers. Lisa smiled at him as he sat the pot down with the most unbothered expression Valeria had ever seen. 

“Thank you, Adrien. Our guest is awake now, her name is Valeria.”

Alucard continued to look completely uninterested. “Hmm,” he said in bored tone.

Lisa kept going. “She’ll be here for a while, in order to recover. Perhaps you could lend her some of your books to help pass the time?”

Alucard scoffed. “Are you sure this…person can even read?”

Valeria rolled her eyes at his pomposity. “Yes, I can read and I can also speak for myself, I don’t need anyone to answer for me.”

Alucard briefly looked at her then turned away, presumably to get those books. Lisa came to her and prompted her sit up on the thick pillows to eat and, as she did, Valeria noticed that Alucard paused in the doorway for a fraction of a moment, then kept walking. Certainly, this most interesting man would be a challenge to make friends with, or someone so handsome.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now it will get a bit more juicy ;) If you have read up to this point, thanks so much! Stick with me for more chapters!

Alucard POV  
Seeing the woman awake gave Alucard pause when he walked in the room. Not only was she somehow more attractive when awake, her eyes were a warm hazel color that followed him attentively. As he walked to the library for the books his mother had asked for, he noticed his heart was beating much faster than it had before he’d walked in the room. Damn it, Alucard, don’t act like you’ve never seen a woman before, he scolded himself for being so flustered. In truth, he had seen women before, he used to help his mother with examinations and treating patients, so he’d seen quite a few. He just wasn’t sure any had been as beautiful or mysterious as this Valeria was. Where had she come from? How did she end up falling off a horse in Wallachia? If she was running, why? All these questions swirled in his mind as he ran his fingers over the many books in their library. In fact, he was so deep in his thoughts, he hardly noticed his father standing over a tome in the middle of the room. Alucard glanced at the book he was reading and shook his head. 

“The Properties and Anatomy of Bones in the Human Body? Seems mother has you doing her bidding too.”

Dracula snorted softly. “Yes, it seems so. She’s very invested in this girl, I believe. I haven’t seen her so excited to treat a patient in a while.”

“Why? It seems like an unnecessary hassle to me.”

“Lisa likes a challenge. And with the shape that girl’s legs are in, she has her work more than cut out for her,” He closed the rather large tome and tucked it under his arm. “But your mother has given you a task as well?”

Alucard nodded. “Mhm. She wanted books so the girl could read. To be frank, I’m surprised she even can.” Valeria. Her name is Valeria, he reminded himself internally. 

Dracula chuckled, which sounded more like a low hum. “You shouldn’t make such assumptions. There’s no telling who this girl is, though more than likely she’s some commoner who stole a horse,” He walked to exit the library. “In any case, she may prove to be—interesting company.” 

With that, Alucard was left alone with his thoughts and the books. He continued to browse for anything that might seem interesting to Valeria. He passed over books that talked about botany or herbalism, she didn’t seem like the type to be interested in that sort of thing. He almost passed over a book about constellations and astrology that had been a favorite of his when he was younger, but grabbed it for the sentiment of it. Alucard took four more books from the library: a book of Greek and Roman mythology, a copy of The Divine Comedy, a copy of The Decameron, and book of poems by Rumi. He had never read any of the books himself, but he felt she might enjoy them, and if not, could at least occupy the time with them. At this point he hadn’t realized just how much time he had spent looking for books and, against his better judgement, walked into Valeria’s room without knocking on the closed door. He flushed as he realized she was washing herself and naked. 

“Adrien!” His mother cried at his entrance. Valeria covered herself with her hands as best she could. 

Alucard stumbled over his words. No smug remark could get him out of this. “Er, my apologies, I—didn’t know that--,” He glanced at Valeria, who’d turned away in embarrassment. “I’ll—leave the books on the floor.” He stammered as he promptly set the books on the floor and rushed out of the room. As he closed the door, he finally managed to take a breath. What a terrible time to have walked in! 

For the brief moment he’d been in there, he felt like his heart was beating louder than ever before. And the way a particular part of his body responded was not appropriate at all. What is your problem, opening a closed door without knocking? He scolded himself yet again. He wasn’t sure why he had done that; he’d seen the door closed. Maybe he just hadn’t fully registered that there might have been a reason why it was. In any case, the thought of embarrassing himself made him slightly irritated. His thoughts kept swirling, bringing up mixed feelings about Valeria. On one hand, Alucard didn’t care about what she thought of him, but he didn’t want to be seen as a pervert either. He found himself wanting her to like him, regardless of what he actually thoughts said.

As he came to his own room and slammed the door, he began to slide his hand down his pants. He wanted to stop, he knew it was wrong, but it seemed as soon as his hands began trailing up and down his chest, it became involuntary. Alucard tried not to think of his mother in the same space as Valeria, instead imagining her large breasts in front of him. He moaned as he stroked his member close to cumming, then let himself down from the edge. As his release came, he bit his lips so hard (so no one could hear his moans), he drew blood. He lay back on his bed, breathing heavily and covered in his own semen, running his hands through his hair. If just a glimpse of Valeria’s naked body could do this to him, he was in serious trouble.


	5. Chapter 5

Valeria POV

The bath had been calming and felt fantastic, especially considering she’d been traveling for weeks. Lisa had helped her undress and prepared bath water for her. She’d been enjoying the feel of warm water on her body and the relief of finally being clean, when Lisa’s son, Alucard, so rudely barged in. She’d felt utterly exposed as she felt his eyes on her. The interaction had even flustered him, making him practically drop the books he’d brought her. Lisa had merely sniggered at the incident, more specifically the look on his face when he realized what was happening. She apologized as well, even with a not-so-well concealed grin on her face and set the books on the table beside the bed. She left afterwards, promising she’d come around to check on her at some point. 

It had been a mere thirty minutes since she’d left and Valeria had only glanced at the books Alucard had chosen. She’d heard of none of them except the book of poems by Rumi and, honestly she was surprised someone with such a violent reputation even owned something so emotional. Maybe Lisa truly had changed Dracula for the better, made him appreciate the art of mere humans. Valeria remembered Rumi’s works from her childhood; her father always praised his genius and artistry. He’d even taken her to see the poet’s tomb every year, a trip to the interior of Turkey that she always looked forward to. She smiled sadly as she picked up the book and began reading. She focused intensely on every line, considering its meaning and what Rumi must have felt when writing them. She remembered when her father used to recite the love poems to her mother and gift her with flowers. Everything was happy and peaceful until her father was killed in a supposed accident, though it was more likely that his competitors killed him. Valeria was lost in thought when Alucard entered the room, arms crossed and a sour look on his face.

“Mother wanted me to check on you, make sure you hadn’t killed yourself on accident.” He informed her, hardly making eye contact. 

How rude. Valeria huffed and looked up from her book, staring at Alucard, hoping to force him to make eye contact. “I’m fine, thanks.”

Alucard merely blinked. “Good,” He turned to leave but then stopped. “As for what happened earlier, it was an accident. It shan’t happen again.” And with that, he exited and closed the room door behind him.

Valeria slammed the book closed in irritation. What a jerk this guy was! First, he was so rude as to invade her privacy, then not even apologize? Was he always that rude? Lisa had treated her kindly, so why couldn’t her son at least be cordial? She found it surprising that he was so different. Must take after his father, Valeria thought. She supposed she couldn’t blame him too much, living basically in isolation would make a person hostile to strangers. Yet she wanted to fulfill Lisa’s request, it was the least she could do to repay the woman’s kindness, but Alucard was making it awfully difficult, with his sulky ways and rudeness towards her. Maybe there was a way to make herself more open to a friendship. She mulled it over in her head and decided she would ask Lisa what he was interested in. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way to overcome this seemingly large obstacle in the way of repaying her debt to Lisa.

*  
Lisa POV

Dracula chuckled as Lisa recounted the day’s “incident”, as she called it. 

“His face was absolutely priceless!” She laughed as she mimicked Alucard’s reaction to walking in on Valeria. 

Dracula laughed again. He almost had a hard time imagining his usually confident son would look so embarrassed. Or that he would be so ignorant to open a closed door without knocking, especially having lived with parents who were very ‘active’ and intimate. “I imagine our guest didn’t appreciate that very much.”

Lisa sat on her husband’s lap as he sat in his chair by the fireplace. “Of course she didn’t. She was in a very vulnerable position, after all. She blushed almost as hard as he did,” She smiled again. “I sent him in there to check on her. I’m curious to know how that went down.”

Dracula snorted. “Knowing Adrien, he probably brushed it off like nothing happened. He most definitely didn’t apologize, if that’s what you were hoping for.”

Lisa sighed. “I had my hopes up, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was precisely what happened. That makes my request that much harder for her,” Dracula tilted his head. “She asked what she could do repay me, so I asked her to be friends with Adrien.”

At that, Dracula was genuinely puzzled. “Why?”

“Because he needs friends, Vlad. Genuine human connection, a relationship with someone other than us. I want him to experience that at least once in his life.”

“And how do you plan to convince him that he even needs such a thing? And that he won’t be disappointed to find that most humans are not worth forming such a connection with?” 

Lisa tilted her head in thought. “Well, I was actually hoping Valeria could do that. They might need a little nudge though.”

Dracula was silent for a moment. “Do you think this Valeria is someone worth knowing, worth forming a ‘genuine human connection’ with?”

“I believe so. She hasn’t shown any otherwise. My intuition is telling me she’s got a very interesting background, too.” 

Dracula huffed a low laugh. “Ah yes, intuition, a truly infallible well of reliability.”

Lisa rolled her eyes and chuckled at his sarcasm. “Trust me, Vlad. I think this may go much better than you think.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this is going really well so far. Again, feel free to leave a comment or some feedback! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is a short one, hopefully i'll have more next week.

Alucard POV  
A week had passed since Valeria first arrived at the castle and Alucard had gotten no step closer to developing even a cordial relationship with her. Well, that may have been an understatement, as she seemed to forget his earlier trespassing. At least it seemed that way from the words she spoke to him each time his mother sent him to check on her. Every day it was the same; he would ask if she was fine and she would say yes, returning to her book after making direct eye contact. Alucard had to admit the eye contact made it harder to leave her alone; for some reason, he had this indescribable urge to hold her, to touch her. But it was pointless if she didn’t feel the same. As he approached her chambers, this time without his mother’s prompting, he was determined to make himself appear more polite. 

Alucard cleared his throat to attract her attention from her book. Valeria merely glanced up at him, then returned to her book. “Ahem. I’ve noticed you haven’t touched any of the other books I brought you. Are they not interesting enough to grab your attention?” 

Valeria remained silent for at least an entire minute before she realized Alucard would not leave with his question unanswered. “No, it’s not that they’re not interesting, but I actually have a history with Rumi’s poems.”

“Oh? Enlighten me,” Alucard dragged a chair from across the room and sat. He tried to keep an unbothered expression on his face, but his actions spoke otherwise. 

Valeria stared at him, trying to determine if he was serious or just playing games with her. He looked uninterested, but his eyes seemed genuinely interested in her answer. “My father, he loved Rumi’s works. When I first learned how to read and write, he would have me write his couplets for practice.”

“I see. I don’t think I’ve ever read any of his works before. I’m guessing you would recommend it, since you’ve spent an entire week on one book?” 

She snorted. “To most people, yeah. Not sure someone like you could appreciate what Rumi has to offer.”

Alucard’s eyebrows raised. If she felt like that, certainly he could prove her wrong. “Is that what you think? Hand me that,” He reached for the book and she reluctantly handed to him. He opened it only to realize the language was not one he was familiar with. No problem, I’ll learn a few phrases and be done with it, he thought. “I’ll return this when I’ve read all of it. And it won’t take me a week either.” 

Valeria grabbed his arm before he could leave and he was surprised by how warm her touch was. “Not so fast. A person can read a book and still not understand it. I want you to answer a single question after you’ve read it: what does Rumi think of love?”

An easy question, or so he thought. For a moment after she released his arm, the absence of her touch made Alucard shiver, left him craving more. She gave him a coy smile and picked up the book about constellations. He felt his heart rate pick up and decided it was a good time to leave. “Very well, I’ll answer your question, though you could have at least made it a challenge,” He smirked. “I’ll return soon.”

Alucard went to his father first to try to decipher the language the book was written in. It looked similar to Arabic, which he wasn’t fluent in but knew enough. He hated having to ask for help, but he’d rather do that than waste time searching for other books in the same language when he could simply ask the man who knew every single book in their library. He looked in Dracula’s study to find him standing over the fire in deep thought. He almost hesitated to disturb him. 

“Father, I have a question about this book,” Dracula remained silent as Alucard approached. “The language it’s written in, do you know it?”

His father reached out his hand for the book and glanced at it in silence for a moment. “It appears to be Persian, the high variety written only by the educated. Why did you want to know?”

“I told Valeria I’d read it.”

Dracula smirked. “Is that so? If I’m not mistaken, you’re trying to impress her?” He handed the book back to Alucard. “And from what I’ve read, that is a book of love poems.”

Alucard flushed slightly. He hadn’t realized the entire thing was about love. “No, I thought I’d read it so we could converse about it. Have a meaningful discussion, if at all possible.”

The devilish smile remained on Dracula’s face. “Ah yes, a meaningful conversation. Because that is the proper way to seek her attention,” He turned to his son, the amusement in his eyes evident. “And how do you plan on becoming fluent in Persian in a timely manner?”

Alucard rolled his eyes at the criticism. “Please, don’t pretend like you know about courting; Mother literally threatened you at the door and got you to heel to her. Hardly a boast-able feat.”

“So you admit you’re attempting to court our guest?

Alucard made a choking noise, horrified at his father’s sudden assumption. “That’s not what I--,” He gave up mid-sentence, seeing no reason to damn himself further. “Anyways, I’ll be going now. I told her I’d finish before the week is up.”

“Did you now?” Dracula smirked, waggling his eyebrows at him. 

Alucard did his best to ignore him, turning away to go to their library. When he arrived, he felt somewhat dismayed to find Lisa there as well. He did his best to avoid her, treading carefully towards the shelf with the books he needed. Unfortunately, his mother turned around right as he was passing by her. 

“Adrien, I haven’t seen you in a bit. Have you been avoiding me?” She smiled at him. 

“Not actively, no. My apologies, but I have a task I’d like to get on with.” 

“Oh? Isn’t that the book Valeria has been reading?” Lisa asked, pointing at the book in his hand.

Alucard nodded. “It is. I told her I’d read it, since she seemed so interested by it.” Once he saw the smirk on his mother’s face, he almost instantly regretted saying so much.

“She has seemed very occupied with it, hasn’t she?” Lisa gathered her pile of books under her arm. “Well, I’ll let you get to it then,” she turned left out of the library, leaving Alucard alone.

He sighed as he sat down with the translation book he had chosen. He couldn’t believe his parents would take relatively simple gesture and blow it way out of proportion. Even though he vehemently denied it, Alucard himself was not entirely sure why he was doing this. On its own, the task would have been interesting, but being attached to such a mysterious and intriguing woman made him more determined. He wanted to get to know her. And after that touch… It left him craving more, all of a sudden wanting her hands through his hair and in other places. He wanted to know if she felt the same when they touched, or if there was anything he could do to make her feel how he did. Alucard shook his head gently to clear his mind. He would answer her question no matter what.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm back on my bullshit again...enjoy :)

Valeria POV  
Touching him had been a huge mistake. The toned arm had tensed under her touch, and it was almost like she could hear his breath hitch in his chest. Now she knew why he’d been so eager to meet her challenge. It was obvious he wanted to impress her. This wasn’t the first time Valeria had attracted attention from the opposite sex. When she’d lived in Istanbul, there was no shortage of boys who’d whistle at her or show off by attempting “daring” feats, like sprinting or climbing walls. The only difference between Alucard and those boys was that he was trying to impress her by using his mind. The fact that the work was so close to her and he wanted to know more was flattering in itself. She blushed as she thought about how she’d wanted to run her hands through his blonde hair. She wanted to like him, if for no other reason than Lisa would appreciate it. As she opened the constellation book, Valeria wondered if Alucard could actually answer her question, though to be fair, she wasn’t exactly sure what the answer was herself. Sure, she had read Rumi numerous times, but the answer to what love was seemed to differ each time. While Valeria pondered, Lisa entered her room, with her medical tools and such.   
“Good evening, Valeria. Are you feeling decent?”   
“I’m fine, thanks,” She sat the book down and watched as Lisa began to disinfect her tools. She noticed Lisa had an unusually smug look on her face and determined that she must’ve known about the book Alucard was reading. “How long do you think it will take my legs to heal?”  
Lisa, focused on her tools, spoke without looking up. “Honestly, my best estimate is anywhere from 2-6 months. It really depends on your ability to recover,” She walked over to the bed and removed the blanket that was covering her legs. Despite having seen their state before, Valeria still winced at their appearance. “I can guarantee it won’t be any time soon, these bones have yet to set. Not to mention you’ll need help trying to walk again.”  
Valeria nodded disappointedly. “I guess that means I’ll be spending more time with Alucard.”  
Lisa smirked. “Is that a bad thing? He seemed pretty invested in that book of yours. I think he’s trying to impress you.”   
Valeria blushed, nervously rubbing the book in her lap. “What? Oh, I guess I just thought—,”  
“That he just wanted to amuse you? No no, when Alucard sets his mind to something, it’s almost always for a set goal. He either wants to impress you or know you better. Not because he’s bored.”   
“Ah, right.” Valeria avoided meeting Lisa’s face, her smirk still plastered on her face. What’s her deal? Is she trying to make her son court me? Does she really think I’m easy like that? Lisa handed her a cup of the chalky, white substance used to sedate her.   
“Drink up. I’ve got to do some work on those legs; mostly sterilizing and some stitching.”   
Valeria nodded and chugged the liquid, grimacing as the bitter concoction went past her tongue. She lay back and within minutes she was fast asleep, dreaming of a certain, tall, blond vampire.  
*  
Alucard POV  
The book was proving much harder to read than he thought. The translating was the worst part; the books he’d been using were old and falling apart and the ink was fading. Not to mention the language itself was difficult to gauge the meaning of. Rumi seemed to speak in riddles, talking about love and the seasons and whatever. All of it gave Alucard a headache, making him question his motivations of this.   
He sighed and sat down the quill he was scribbling with and rubbed his forehead. He promised he would read it in a week and four days had already passed. Maybe if he asked for help…no, he wouldn’t even entertain the idea of stooping so low or giving Valeria the satisfaction of teaching him. Maybe if he saw her, just talked to her… The thought made him shiver, recalling when she’d grabbed him that day. Every time he thought about it, goose bumps appeared (which pretty much never happened) and his skin tingled. Alucard sighed as he closed the book and stood. He walked silently down the halls to the guestroom Valeria was in, hoping she would talk to him at least for a few minutes, to take his mind off that stupid tome. He knocked firmly on the door, having learned from not doing so. A soft voice answered and he opened the door. Suddenly, his heart sped a few paces upon seeing her. It was obvious she’d had a bath again and her hair was clean and combed neatly into a braid that cascaded down her back. The light scent of lavender tickled his nose as he drew closer.  
“Evening. Are you well?” He asked, taking a seat next her.   
Valeria looked up from her book and smiled pleasantly back at him. “About as well as I can be,” she chuckled, gesturing at her motionless legs. “Besides that, everything is going well. You?”  
Alucard huffed. “I won’t lie, your little book is giving me trouble. Nothing I can’t deal with though.”  
Valeria raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Oh? Is that so?”   
Alucard studied her face for a moment. It was clear she expected him to have some trouble, yet she said nothing. “Tsk. I was only taught the classic languages. But if I can learn them, I can learn one more.” The words almost surprised him; it sounded more like he was thinking aloud than anything he would actually say.   
Valeria was still smiling at him, making his stomach flutter. He decided to meet her eyes directly this time. “Ah, right. Well, I wish you the best of luck. I look forward to our conversation.”  
Alucard’s stomach dropped at her dismissal of him. Did she really not see him worth talking to? “I was hoping we could talk now.”  
She smirked again. “We have. We just talked, didn’t we?”  
Oh-ho, she was playing games with him. I see how it is, two can play at this. He gritted his teeth and stood. “Very well then, I’ll see you in a few days. And we will talk.” To his annoyance, Valeria batted her eyes coyly and went back to reading her book, not giving him a second look. He stopped briefly in the doorway, vainly hoping she would look up again. When she did, she merely smiled gently and said, “Please be sure to close the door behind you.”   
Alucard’s fangs lengthened at the comment, slamming the door and nearly knocking the door off the hinges. He groaned in frustration. Ugh, she’s such a tease. If she was being like this, so could he.


	8. Chapter 8

Valeria POV   
Seeing the look on Alucard’s face as he practically stomped out of her room made her chest heave with quiet laughter. He’d been too flustered to realize she was teasing him. She hoped he didn’t take it too seriously, but his pride looked wounded as he marched out. Valeria was certain Lisa wanted her son to try to woo her, but Valeria was not going to make it easy for him. Her mother had told her never to settle too easily for a man, to make him work for her hand if he was going to court her. She had every intention of doing so. 

The four days that he had left quickly passed, Lisa coming in occasionally to change the dressing on her legs and examine them. Even the lord of the castle himself had come by briefly to comment on the condition of her legs. He’d been rather polite, surprising Valeria; he’d asked if her bed was comfortable and if she would like more books. It was funny really, in the five minutes she’d conversed with him, Dracula had been nicer to her than Alucard had the entire two weeks she’d been there. Though she declined his offers, she made sure to ask for a few things on the day Alucard was supposed to finish the book of poems. Lisa had helped her bathe a few hours before, infusing the water with fragrant flowers and washing her hair. She re-braided her hair and put on new clothes and asked that Lisa light special candles, the kind that burn slower than normal. She had no idea why she was going so far for just a simple meeting; all they were doing was talking, right? Was she really going this far in some hope of impressing him? Why did she feel the need to do so? Did it have something to do with how she felt when they touched? 

Valeria was slightly surprised at herself as her heart rate increased when Alucard walked in silently, clutching the book of poems. His eyes didn’t leave hers as he drew a chair closer to the bed than he had before, making Valeria’s face flush with heat and break the eye contact. 

“Are you busy?” Alucard snarkily asked as he sat, close enough to reach out and grab her arm. 

Valeria rolled her eyes, trying to mask her nervousness with nonchalance. “Well, seeing as I can’t go anywhere, no, I am not busy.”

Alucard laughed, a deep sound that made Valeria’s heart thump even harder. “I suppose it was a bit redundant to ask that. Anyhow, I finished this book of yours.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? Well, I guess you did promise. What did you think?”

Alucard sat back in his chair, trying to look unconcerned, Valeria guessed. “It was…interesting, to say the least. Your poet had some very interesting ideas, at least from what I was able to grasp.” 

Valeria tilted her head, searching for a memory of one of her father’s favorite sayings. “ ‘Rumi is like love, mysterious and strange, yet universal.’ That’s what my father used to say. I think that, at least for me, sums up his works.”

“That’s an apt way to see it, I suppose,” Alucard paused, leaving the room awkwardly silent. “What happened to him? Your father, I mean. You always speak of him fondly, but always in the past tense.”

Valeria smiled sadly as she fiddled with the blanket over her legs. “He was a merchant. He was a good man, but he made a lot of enemies in his success. Some of them killed him a little over a year ago, murdered him in his own home.” Valeria could feel tears pricking at the back of her eyes as she remembered her father’s gentle smile under his bushy mustache. 

“Ah, I’m sorry to hear that. At least you’re able to carry on his memory.”

Valeria looked up at the ceiling, hoping not to shed tears in front of Alucard. “Thanks. If he were here right now, he’d probably say something like ‘convert everyone you know to Rumi, like Christians whenever they see non-Christians’.” 

The two chuckled and Valeria hoped Alucard hadn’t noticed the crack in her voice, but it was clear he did as he reached for her hand, wrapping it in his. The gesture made the tears fall slowly from her eyes. She wiped at her face with her free hand and looked at Alucard. The smug look he’d walked in with had disappeared and he looked genuinely sympathetic, stroking her hand tenderly. He reached up to wipe the tears from her face, surprising her at how soft his hands were. Their eyes met and she somehow felt lulled by his eyes, the warm pools that reminded her of honey. The hand that had wiped her tears made its way to her hair, pushing back stray hairs from her face. The room seemed noticeably warmer as her heartbeat sped up, so fast she was sure Alucard’s supernatural senses could hear it. Valeria shivered as Alucard’s hand traced down to her neck, gently grabbing the back of it. Now they were so close Valeria could hear Alucard’s own labored breathing, the odd coolness of his breath making her caress his chest as he moved over to sit on her bed. He made a faint purring noise as he pecked at her neck, causing every single hair on her body to stand. She moaned as his tongue met her skin and grasped at his hair, running her hands through it. Alucard’s lips moved to hers, his tongue exploring her mouth. She had never kissed before, but she hadn’t expected it to make her feel so alive. Was it the kiss or the man she was kissing? It felt like every fiber of her being was on fire, a warmth spreading through her body. Valeria was so focused on tasting Alucard and feeling his roaming hands, that she failed to realize why he suddenly pulled away, breaking the intense euphoric feeling. The kiss had left her breathless, but she truly had her breath snatched when she spotted Lisa standing in the doorway. Alucard scrambled off the bed and stood.

“Ahh, mother, what a surprise,” Alucard said, clearly trying to catch his breath too. “I-ahem, I was just, ah, leaving.” He stopped to look back at Valeria. “Take care.”

Alucard POV

Shit. Shit shit shit was all Alucard could think after he rushed out of Valeria’s room when his mother caught them kissing. His heart was still pounding at the memory. It probably hadn’t been the best decision, for him to do that in an emotional moment for her, but he couldn’t help it; it was almost like instinct. It seemed like every nerve in him was screaming at him to act. From the moment he walked in the room, he was tempted; everything from the faint, pleasant smell of the candles lighting the room to the way they illuminated Valeria’s features, making her even more alluring. She smelled amazing as well, like flowers and wild berries. His senses had been on overdrive from the beginning. 

Alucard quickly came to his room, closing the door behind him. He tried to calm himself, to slow his breathing and focus on relieving the tightness underneath his pants. But when he closed his eyes to think, only Valeria came to mind, her soft lips and warm body, her scent, the way she lightly tugged on his hair. Before he knew it, he was out of his pants and his shaft was in his hand, coaxing faint moans from him. He was surprised at how fast he came; one minute his hand was pumping, the next, he was spilling all over the floor, trembling with release. Slightly embarrassed, he found a cloth and wiped it up. Even after he’d cum, Alucard’s mind was still racing. How was he supposed to face his mother after her intrusion on such a moment? How would Valeria see him now? She obviously enjoyed the kiss, otherwise, she would have pulled away. How would their relationship continue? He couldn’t ignore her, not after such an intimate experience. If he could avoid his parents for a while, he could lay low and think, speak to Valeria without interruptions.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valeria is a little tsundere? Alucard has a hair-pulling kink? Lisa is having the time of her life? It may be more likely than you think ;)

Lisa POV

Lisa could barely hold her laughter after leaving Valeria’s room. Not even seconds after walking in on Valeria and Adriens’ “intimate” moment, Alucard zoomed out of the room, out of breath and red in the face. Valeria looked horrified as well, her mouth agape and face flushed, and obvious evidence of wandering hands on her clothes. She couldn’t justify coming in after seeing them like that, so she just said she would come back later. 

Finally escaping the hallway where Valeria’s room was, Lisa broke down in laughter. It wasn’t like she never laughed, but rarely did she laugh this hard. It wasn’t the situation that was funny necessarily, but the way they’d reacted. Their faces were utterly priceless. As she was bent over laughing, Dracula rounded the corner, a pile of books in his arms. 

He paused, tilting his head to the side. “What amuses you so, my love?”

Lisa continued to giggle, barely able to look up at her husband. “Ha! You had to be there to see it! It was…it was so--,” She broke down in laughter again, grabbing Dracula’s cape for support. Dracula chuckled, still a bit confused as to what could be making her so hysterical. 

“Ah, does it have to do with Adrien and our guest? You’ve seemed entertained by them recently.”

Lisa straightened up and took a deep breath, still grinning. “Yes, it does. It seems that our family has a bit of a habit of walking in during inopportune times,” she sniggered again, remembering Alucard walking in on a naked Valeria. “I went to her room to replace her bandages and, lo and behold, there was our son with his tongue down her throat.” 

Dracula raised his eyebrows. “And you find this amusing?”

Lisa wrapped her arm under his free arm, prodding him to walk with her. “Well it wasn’t so much the situation that made me laugh, but their faces when I caught them…absolutely priceless.” She chuckled again and shook her head.

“Ah, I see. Well, I hope I can avoid this little trend of walking in on our dear guest, I wouldn’t want her to think we’re startling her on purpose. As for Adrien, he should be able to handle this well enough, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know. It was very awkward, I’ll admit. I don’t know how he plans to recover from that.”

Valeria POV

Only two days had passed since her and Alucard’s very intimate kiss and she’d known no peace since. Every waking hour was filled with thoughts of that moment; even when she went to sleep, Valeria couldn’t dream of anything else but Alucard’s soft lips and gentle kisses. Seeing Lisa’s smug face every day didn’t help much either since the woman had interrupted their passionate moment. She seemed to relish in the embarrassment she’d caused them, she even tried to stay longer than normal, asking more questions about her legs. Even Dracula seemed to be teasing her, leaving with a snarky reminder that her legs were broken and that she shouldn’t try any “strenuous activities”. Alucard’s absence only made her more anxious. Had she done something wrong? Did he enjoy their kiss as much as she did or was it just an act?

The day after the second day had passed, Valeria had been trying to read more of the books she’d been given, but her attempts to calm her nerves were in vain. Every creak she heard, her heart skipped a beat, hoping it would be Alucard. Even if he said nothing, his presence would have appeased Valeria, just to take in his beautiful face and golden locks. Her wish was granted, as soon after breakfast, Alucard walked in, silently staring at her and moving a chair as close as possible. 

They stayed silent for a few moments until Alucard tenderly grabbed her hand and held it. Once he was sure she wasn’t going to pull away, he spoke. “I suppose I should apologize for leaving so abruptly the other day. And for not immediately coming back to speak to you.”

Valeria stared at Alucard, amazed that his apology seemed sincere this time. She blushed slightly when he cleared his throat, clearing waiting on a response. “Oh, um, that’s alright. It was weird, um, with your mother walking in, but, um…I still enjoyed the kiss.”

Alucard smiled and rubbed her hand with his thumb. His touch was just as warm as it had been before and strangely comforting. “Was it your first? Kiss, I mean.”

Valeria raised her eyebrows at the question. “Well, no it wasn’t,” She swore she saw a flash of disappointment from him. “But it was certainly the best.” 

Alucard hummed his appreciation and kissed her hand. The contact sent waves of thrills through her and for a brief moment, she imagined his lips elsewhere on her body. “Me too,” The room was silent, all except for the crackling of the fireplace. “You never got to finish talking about your home after I, ah, interrupted you.”

Valeria chuckled. “Yeah, that was pretty rude of you. Well, Istanbul was big and always busy. I think the best part was the bazaars across the city. I could spend hours just wandering around, looking at all the beautiful art, the handmade carpets, the delicious food.” She sighed.

“Sounds interesting. So why did you leave?”

“After my father’s death things…changed. My mother decided to go back to Greece, where her family was from, to grieve. I don’t blame her. Everything about the place must’ve reminded her of him. It was probably overwhelming,” Alucard gently squeezed her hand, reminding her of his presence, which grew ever more comforting. “I stayed behind, to make sure his murderers got what they deserved, but things got a little, erm, out of hand you could say.”

“And I’m guessing that’s what led to you being in Wallachia, correct?”

“Yeah, after half a year of being chased by hired thugs,” Valeria pouted as she looked down at her legs. “Damn bastards made me break my legs, but if I had been more careful--,” 

Alucard smiled politely at her. “Don’t doubt my mother, if she said your legs will heal, they will. I have absolute faith in that,” Valeria returned the smile. Undoubtedly, Lisa knew what she was doing, but a small shred of doubt still clouded Valeria’s mind. “If you ran from thugs, I’m assuming you know how to fight.”

“Meh, I’m decent, I guess. I can defend myself when needed, and that’s really I need to know.” Valeria looked away from Alucard, who, halfway through her sentence, had a look that screamed he was about to tease her.

“Ah, I guess that would explain why you fell off your horse,” he smirked. “Any fighter worth their salt would’ve stayed saddled.”

Valeria snatched her hand away, causing Alucard to chuckle. “Oh yeah? I guess you would know since you obviously spend sooo much time on horseback, Mr. I’m-a-vampire-and-live-in-a-moving-castle.”

Alucard grinned, closing the space between them and sitting on her bed. The action made Valeria’s heart jump. “Speaking of the castle, would you like to see more of it sometime?”

She crossed her arms. “Hey, don’t change the subject!” She blushed slightly, trying not to stare at Alucard too much. “But yes, I would, however I have certain dilemma in the shape of my legs.”

Alucard brushed some of her fallen hairs out of her face, the motion causing her to inhale sharply. “I’ll find a way to make it happen. No promises, except that I’ll try my hardest.”

“Alucard, I--,” He pressed his lips to hers, interrupting whatever she was going to say. He buried his hand in her loose mop of hair and rested the other on her waist as his tongue danced with hers. This kiss was different, Valeria noticed; the first time had been softer and gentler, now his kisses were harder and more desperate, his lips crashing into hers. She let her arms drape over his shoulders, pulling him closer. His free hand had moved to the small of her back, hiking up her loose-fitting shirt and making his way to her breasts. Valeria inhaled sharply as Alucard moved his lips down to her neck, tenderly nipping at her skin. It was her turn to grab his hair, coaxing a moan from him as she tugged it lightly. She felt fear for a brief moment as Alucard’s canines grazed her skin, but it quickly turned into excitement as he sucked at her neck and fondled her breasts. Valeria let out a moan as he pinched one of her nipples, his tongue moving back and forth as he worshipped her skin. Her blood was roaring in her ears at the sensation and she wanted nothing more than to wrap her legs around him and see if he was as good with his cock as he was with his mouth, but her predicament wouldn’t allow her to. At least not yet. She tried to lift Alucard’s chin to delve into his mouth again, but he pulled away, a smirk on his face. 

“Not so fast,” he said breathlessly, his forehead pressing against hers. “Let’s save the rest for later, yes?” Alucard let go of her hair and pulled her shirt back down, causing her to groan at the loss of contact. He straightened his hair and stood.

Valeria inhaled, doing her best to catch her shaky breath. “You…you bastard.”

Alucard smiled smugly as he turned to leave a flustered and turned on Valeria. “I’ll consider that a compliment.” He flashed his canines and purred as he left, the strong scent of arousal wafting from the room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one is a bit short but hope you like it!

Alucard POV

Every ounce of self-control. That was what it took for Alucard to pull away from Valeria’s embrace. The kiss had been hot and desirous, leaving every bit of him burning like a white-hot iron for release. He needed to keep himself busy or else he would’ve had his cock in his hands in seconds, chasing his release yet again. He took a few deep breaths, leaning against the wall in an attempt to calm the roaring of his blood. He closed his eyes and sighed once he had himself under control. He would need to go to the library and possibly his father’s lab to try to solve Valeria’s immobility. He had seen a diagram of a moving chair that might help when he was younger, but he needed to find the book it was in. 

Alucard waited until evening fell to visit the library so he could be sure his mother wasn’t there (he still couldn’t get over how embarrassing it was for her to see him so flustered). His father’s library was vast, containing volumes and knowledge from ages past. If there was anything that could help Valeria, it would be here. His mother had already spent a considerable amount of time here herself, perusing the shelves for effective treatments. 

As he entered the large space to begin his search, he found his father doing some research of his own, no doubt at the behest of his mother. He walked past him, thinking that he wouldn’t be noticed, but hardly even a peep could get past Dracula. He spoke without looking up from his book. 

“Adrien? I’m a bit surprised to see you here, thought you might be spending the night with our guest.”

Alucard could practically feel the smirk underneath the comment and shook his head. His mother must’ve told him about his and Valeria’s kiss. “That won’t be happening, at least not yet.”

It was Dracula’s turn to look surprised as he abruptly looked up from his book. “You sound like you have a plan?”

“Not really in the way of actually helping as much as I’d like, but I think it could help her see more of the castle.”

“I see. I trust you know what you are doing, seeing as you know this library as well as I do. Good luck on your search.”

Alucard muttered his thanks and stalked away. The first section he would need to search was the craft books, everything from whittling simple shapes to ancient building methods could be found there. He was grateful for his father’s meticulous organization skills, making what he needed much easier to find. He had to dust off a few volumes, taking down multiple books at a time to look at and making himself comfortable at a table. The hours drifted away as he looked through pages upon pages: histories of anatomy, various discoveries of different cultures on how they dealt with their disabled and elderly, remedies for pain, and everything else in between. He was so engrossed in his studies that he failed to notice the steady dimming of the candles. He hardly noticed his mother’s presence until she placed a hand on his shoulder, breaking his focus.

“Adrien, dear, it’s a tad late don’t you think?” Lisa asked, a tray of food in her hands. The smell reminded Alucard that he hadn’t eaten at all the entire day.

“Good thing I’m partially nocturnal. I suppose Father told you I was here?”

Lisa smiled softly and pushed a book aside to set the tray down. “Of course he did, as expected. What he didn’t tell me was exactly what you’re doing.”

Alucard looked up at his mother and quickly spotted the smirk hidden behind her words. “Ah, but something tells me you already know. And yes, before you ask, it does have to do with Valeria.” 

“I see. Well, I’m glad you two are, ahem, getting along better. You seem to have taken quite a liking to her.”

Alucard felt heat rush to his face. He grimaced at the idea that his mother might have seen his hard-on when he left Valeria’s room a few days ago. “Yes, I suppose so. She’s very interesting and I hope to continue to get to know her.” 

Lisa squinted at him for a moment. Maybe she would mess with him, just a little… “Seems you’ll have a lot of time for that,” she sighed. “The way things are looking, she’ll be very lucky if she ever walks again.”

Alucard froze, his hand stopping mid-flip between pages. He gulped. “You can’t mean that. Isn’t there something to be done? Father--,” 

“Your father has many resources and is very intelligent, but even he cannot perform miracles. And me, well, I’m just an ordinary doctor. I can do no more than what I know.”

Alucard looked dismayed for a moment, but his face quickly morphed into one of determination. “That’s disappointing you feel that way, mother. You’re the most talented person I know. And we will find a way for Valeria to walk again, even if I have to read every book in this castle, I will do it.”

Lisa smiled, satisfied with his answer. “If you think so. Well, I won’t distract you much longer, just remember to eat and get some sleep, dear.” She leaned over and gave him a peck on the forehead, then walked out, leaving Alucard alone once more.

Alucard pulled the tray of food towards him, his eyes never leaving the pages of the book.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is a bit short, I've had a lot on my plate. Enjoy and leave a comment if you like :)

Two days had passed and Alucard was practically living in the library; he slept only when he needed to and his mother had taken to bringing his meals to him. When she mentioned that Valeria had asked about him, his heart sped up, reminding him who he was doing this for. Well into the third day, he found what he was looking for: a book of diagrams showing how to craft a rolling chair. The page, however, was old and written in Arabic, which Alucard was not completely fluent in. He grabbed the tome and left the library, his steps more excited than before. He figured since Valeria lived in an Islamic empire, she would be able to translate the page. As he arrived at her room, his father was sitting on the end of her bed, gently changing the bandages on her legs. 

Alucard nodded to acknowledge him. “Father,” He sat in a chair next to her bed. “Valeria, I have a task for you, if you’re capable of it, of course.”

Valeria rolled her eyes. “Oh? You’re asking me for help? I thought I’d never hear such a thing.”

Alucard sighed as his father chuckled behind him. “Yes, I know. A true travesty this is. Would you be willing to help regardless?”

Dracula cleared his throat and stood. “Well, I’ll leave the two of you to it,” He smirked as he walked away. “No strenuous activity either.”

Valeria blushed at the reference and looked at the tome Alucard was holding. “Ahem. So what is it?”

He leaned over to show her the page he needed translating. “This page describes a diagram for a chair that moves, but it’s in Arabic. I would learn the language myself, but I’m afraid that would take much longer than desired.”

Valeria looked at the page, which was covered in writing that surrounding a detailed illustration of the chair Alucard mentioned. It took her a few moments to fully remember her education; she grew up speaking Arabic, but actually writing it was secondary to writing in Persian, as her father had taught her. “Um, yeah, I should be able to translate. Could I bother you for parchment and some ink and quill?”

Alucard snorted. “Fine. I suppose I can do that,” He left the room for a few minutes and then returned with her items. “Here. How long do you think you will take?”

Valeria tilted her head. “Hmm, I’d say at least two days,” She watched as he sighed and leaned back into his chair. “Oh, so you plan on staying in here? For two more days?”

He crossed his arms. “Well, I have to stay here, just to make sure you do it right. Can’t have you messing up, right?” 

Valeria rolled her eyes. “Whatever, just don’t distract me, I’m really invested in this idea, you know,” She glanced over to where Alucard was sitting, now closing his eyes while reclining. “You really know how to irritate people, don’t you?”

He smiled slyly, his eyes still closed. “It’s either a talent or you just have a lot of points for me to annoy. I’d say both.”  
Valeria shook her head and set to translating the page, the room now silent, the only sound present was the crackling of the fire. After a few moments, Valeria stopped writing, turning to where Alucard was sitting, hearing only his soft breathing as he slept.

~

When Alucard awoke, he found a blanket had been draped over him, likely the work of his mother. He turned to Valeria, who was now asleep herself, wrapped in blankets and snoring softly. The candles had been blown out and the fire in the fireplace was sputtering. Alucard tossed more wood into the fire and sat back down, watching Valeria as she slept. He debated whether he should climb in the bed and lie next to her. He decided against it, the thought of not having her permission making him uncomfortable. Instead, he wrapped the blanket he was given around him and lay his head on the side of a free pillow. The position wasn’t the most comfortable, but as he dozed off, he could do nothing but think about how warm he felt knowing he could be by her side and he silently promised he would never leave.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another one; Hope y'all enjoy!

Valeria POV

Valeria awoke to a distinct warmth on her face. She sputtered and realized it was Alucard’s hair, splayed out on the pillow next to her. He must’ve woken up, she thought, moving his hair out her face. He stirred a little, letting out a small sigh. Valeria pushed herself up, the slight movement causing Alucard to wake. 

“Looks like you made yourself awfully comfortable in my room.” Valeria huffed, snatching the now-vacated pillow from him.

Alucard rubbed his sore neck. “Well, seeing as this is where I live, I’m free to go where I please. It just so happens I chose your room to sleep in, just as I could have chosen any of the other numerous rooms about the castle.”

“Sure, sure, If you say so, sir vampire.”

Alucard smiled at the nickname and took the blanket off. “If you prefer, I could leave you in here alone…with no legs to move. Or,” He moved to the bed and draped his arm over her shoulders. The action sent a jolt through her, the excitement making her face feel warm. “I could stay here and we keep each other warm.”

Valeria blushed. “Isn’t that what the fireplace is for?” 

Alucard hissed playfully and Valeria chuckled. The two were silent for a moment when Alucard scooted closer to her, burying his face in her hair. “Mmm, what does mother use when she washes your hair? It reminds me of something, but I can’t place my finger on it.”

“Oh, you like it? It’s just rosewater. I used to use it back in Istanbul.” 

“I do. It’s sweet, yet subtle,” He breathed in the scent again, sighing and letting his lips nip their way down to her neck. “I wonder what else is sweet…” He started kissing her neck, coaxing a moan from Valeria. 

“Adrien, I…” Valeria gasped as he moved his arm to around her waist. He moved his lips to hers and began ravishing her lips. Valeria’s hand drifted to his hair, tugging it slightly. Their tongues danced, the feeling of his lips on hers becoming overwhelming. Alucard’s teeth lightly grazed her bottom lip, causing her to grip his upper thigh. Alucard jolted at the contact, bucking forward.

Valeria pulled away, concerned by his yelp. “Ah, are you okay? I’m sorry if that hurt.”

Alucard swallowed, trying to make his arousal less apparent. “Ahem. I’m fine, but if you touch near there…”

Valeria blushed, understanding where she had grabbed was sensitive. Just then, Lisa swung the door open, carrying a tray of food. “Morning! I brought breakf--,” 

Her jaw dropped for a moment before she quickly recovered her composure, flashing a bright smile. “Well, aren’t you two cute? I hope I haven’t interrupted anything.” 

Valeria blushed even harder, her face now a deep red as she adjusted her shirt. She became aware of a blooming red mark on her neck, no doubt a gift from their last interactions. “Umm, no, er, well, sort of. Good morning, Lisa.”

“Ah, I see. Should I have brought a serving for you too, Adrien? Will you be having breakfast with our ‘guest’?”

Alucard sighed, slightly irritated by her mocking tone. “No, I’ll be fine, thank you.”

Lisa smirked slightly. “Alright then. Enjoy! I’ll come back later to check on those legs.” She placed the tray on Valeria’s lap and left as quickly as she came in. 

Valeria chuckled and looked at the food on the plate before her. The perfectly cooked eggs and well-seared fish suggested that it was Dracula who had cooked it; by now Valeria was able to tell the difference between their cooking. She looked at Alucard and pointed at him with her fork. “Are you sure you don’t want any? I can tell Dracula made it this morning.”

“While it does smell delicious, I have to pass. You should eat though, it’ll fuel your strength so you can heal faster.”

“Hmm,” Valeria nodded and cut into the food. Alucard climbed out of her bed and glanced at the page she’d been translating. “I’m almost done with it. The design is very unique and somewhat advanced. It was the result of hundreds of years of medical research. It’s truly a testament to Arabic ingenuity.” 

“That’s good, it means we should be able to make it as effective as possible,” He walked to the door and stood there for a moment. “The sooner you finish translating it, the sooner it can be built.”

“Tch. Don’t get impatient, I’ve got this alright?”

Alucard hummed. “Right. I’ll come back later,” He walked out, gently shutting the door behind him.

Valeria sighed, finishing her meal in silence so she could finish translating the pages. She wondered briefly where Dracula had managed to acquire such diagrams. She would have asked him if she wasn’t a bit afraid of what the answer might be. Within a few hours, she was nearly finished translating when Lisa entered her room. 

“Ah, you seem to be keeping yourself busy. What are you up to now?” Lisa asked as she sat down her tools. 

Valeria looked up. “Oh, I’m translating this page for Adrien. It’s a diagram for a moving chair.” 

“Oh, I see. You two seem to be…getting along quite well.”

Valeria blushed. “Um, yeah. He’s been, er, a lot, ah, nicer lately.”

Lisa chuckled as she sat at the foot of the bed, removing the blanket covering Valeria’s legs. “Mhm, I can see he’s been very friendly,” She tapped on her own neck, reminding Valeria of the two deep red hickies blooming on her neck.

Her hand flew to her neck. “Ah yeah, heh. Things are moving kinda fast, I guess,” she rubbed her neck nervously, remembering how her stomach fluttered just thinking about Alucard. “So, how are my legs healing?”

“They’re looking much better. The bones are healing fairly well, at a good pace too. A few more weeks and your bones should be fully healed,” She took out a salve and began rubbing it on her legs. “This should help in case you get sore. Sitting all day isn’t exactly the most comfortable thing, is it?”

She nodded. “Right, it definitely isn’t. Is there anything else that I need for them to heal?”

“Hmm, I don’t know yet. As long as the bones heal correctly, that’s all that needs to be done. That’s why these pins are in your legs, to keep the bones in place as they fuse back together. If they still don’t, well…”

Valeria gulped, nervous that she was implying her legs would never heal. “B-but you said they’re getting better, right?”

“That’s plenty true, so you really have nothing to worry about. Trust me, Vlad and I will make sure you’re back on your feet,” Lisa smiled reassuringly at her, putting away her tools. “Besides, the more time you spend with Adrien, the better, right? Seems like you’ll need them if you catch my meaning.” 

Valeria gasped, her face turning redder than a pomegranate. Lisa merely laughed, leaving Valeria alone to finish her translating.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, fair warning, this next one is spicy ;)

**Alucard POV **

Alucard returned to Valeria’s room late in the evening, enthusiastic about his progress. He’d gone to a mill a few miles away from the castle to procure some wood for the chair. He was able to glean that much from the diagram. He knew he’d need to find a carpenter or woodworker, as his own experience with crafting wouldn’t suffice.

As he entered Valeria’s room, she smiled and waved the page at him. “Ha! I’ve finally finished it. Happy now?”

Alucard smiled and nodded. He walked over to her and stretched out his hand for it. “I suppose you have. Thank you for your help.”

Valeria blushed. “Ah, it was nothing. Anything to help, right?”

Alucard sat on her bed and studied the diagram for a moment. “I wonder where you learned Arabic, since you told me you learned Persian first.”

“You do know Arabic is one of the main languages of the Ottomans, right? I grew up speaking both.”

“Ah, that’s true I guess,” Alucard turned to her. “I’ll need to find a carpenter to do the work. I’ve already found some good wood,” He smirked at her. “Until then, I’ll stay here with you.”

Valeria rolled her eyes. “Pfft. I guess I can let you stay here tonight.”

He chuckled and sat the page down on the nightstand beside the bed. “Ah, you’re so kind,” He removed his shoes and climbed in bed next to Valeria. “I’ve been meaning to ask, but your name, while beautiful is a bit long. Do you mind if I call you Val?”

Valeria smiled softly, the name reminding her of her time in Istanbul. She intertwined her fingers with his. “Mhm, yes that’s fine. Will you, ah, say it again?”

Alucard hummed and kissed her neck. “Val,” he whispered into her neck. She moaned as he nipped at her neck, running his hands through her hair. He moved his lips to hers, exploring her mouth with his tongue. Valeria slipped a hand under his loose shirt, caressing his chest and abdomen. Their tongues danced a passionate tango of intimacy, their hands exploring every inch of each other. Valeria’s hand wandered towards the bulge forming in Alucard’s pants, causing him to gasp. “Fuck,” he hissed, bucking into her touch.

Valeria palmed Alucard’s cock through his pants, earning more moans from him. She pulled away from his kisses for a moment, breathless and hot.“Adrien, do you want me to--,”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation, knowing what she meant. He frantically slid his pants down, his cock standing at full attention. He leaned over and kissed her again, inhaling the sweet scent of roses from her. He fumbled to remove her shirt, his hands shaking slightly as he slipped it over her head. Alucard tenderly cupped her breast, swirling his tongue around her stiff nipples. Valeria moaned softly, and she wove her fingers into his hair as Alucard played with her breasts. She moved her hands down to his chest, slowly skimming her fingernails down to his abdomen, causing his muscles to twitch involuntarily, a small bead of pre-cum leaking from his head. He groaned at the sensation, removing his lips from Valeria’s perk bosom.

Valeria smirked at him, tugging at his shirt. “Your turn,” Alucard quickly obliged, removing his own shirt and tossing it aside. Valeria leaned over and planted a kiss on his chest, coaxing a soft sigh from him. She nervously eyed his erect shaft, now twitching and silently begging for her attention. She kissed lower and slowly wrapped her fingers around him, massaging the precum around his head. Alucard moaned louder as she began to pump her fist up and down his shaft, gripping the bed sheets as his breathing quickened. “Fuck yes,” he muttered as he rocked his hips in the same rhythm as her hand. The friction coaxed more clear fluid from his tip, his balls tensing as her grasp tightened. Alucard moaned louder when her tongue flicked his tip, involuntarily bucking against her hand. His moans encouraged Valeria to continue, parting her moist lips to take his cock in her mouth. He tried his hardest not to thrust into her mouth, but the wetness and heat of her mouth was almost too much for him to handle. His hand flew to his hair, grabbing it as he rode the waves of pleasure Valeria’s hands and mouth were sending him. His balls tightened and he moaned even louder, his eyes closed as Valeria worked. “Fuck, please, I-I’m close,” He managed to stutter out, his body flooding with warmth as his cock throbbed for release. “I-I’m gonna--,” Valeria’s mouth popped off his cock just as he came, his cock expelling thick, white ropes of cum onto his abdomen and chest. Alucard reclined back into the pillow, his heart still beating rapidly. He peeked his eyes open only to see Valeria drag her tongue from his stomach to his chest, swallowing every last drop of his cum. The sight made his shaft twitch despite being spent. “Ah, careful, I might just--,”

Valeria cut him off with a kiss, letting him taste himself on her tongue. Alucard slipped his hand under the blanket as they kissed deeply, realizing that Valeria wasn’t wearing pants. He smirked and removed the blanket, trailing his hand up her thighs. His lips moved down to her neck, his breath hot against it, fueling her moans. Alucard tugged at her panties, causing her to gasp slightly and grab his arm, stopping him.

“Ah! Wait, I’m not, I--,” She blushed as she stumbled over her words. “I’m not ready.”

Alucard sat back, now blushing himself. “Ah, my apologies, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s alright, let’s just…go slow for now,” She smiled politely at him, kissing his cheek. “Also, do you mind grabbing my shirt? It’s getting chilly in here.”

Alucard chuckled and climbed out of the bed, retrieving his and her shirts. He quickly threw on his own shirt, grinning as he got back in. He lay down on his back and pulled the blanket back up. “So, just to be clear, you are fine with me sleeping here tonight?”

Valeria scoffed. “I thought you said I didn’t have a choice?”

“No, you always do. I don’t want to disrespect your space, no matter what I may say.”

She smiled at him and inched her way down to lie on his chest. “Well considering that I just sucked you off,” she felt Alucard’s breath hitch. “You’re welcome to stay the night.”

The two lay in silence, basking in the warmth of each other’s bodies. Alucard held her, lightly tracing the lines of her shoulders and back. She giggled a little when he reached the nape of her neck and he assumed it was a ticklish spot. It didn’t take long for him to begin dozing off, the exhaustion from earlier catching up. He didn’t fall asleep until he was sure Valeria was, her soft, warm breaths on his chest. Alucard kissed her forehead once more, whispering, “Goodnight, Val.”


End file.
